Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency
Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency (丹戎巴葛集选区; Kawasan Undi Perwakilan Berkumpulan Tanjong Pagar; தஞ்சோங் பகார் குழுத்தொகுதி) is currently a five-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in Central and Western Singapore, consisting of the Buona Vista, Queenstown, Moulmein-Cairnhill, Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru and Henderson-Dawson electoral wards. Geographically, this GRC consists of the areas of Tanjong Pagar, Queenstown, Tiong Bahru, Tanglin, Orchard Road, Bukit Merah, Buona Vista and Pek Kio. Tanjong Pagar GRC is both helmed by Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and second minister of Finance and Education Indranee Rajah, and Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing. This GRC notably contains the electoral division where the late founding Prime Minister and former Senior Minister/Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew had stood since his debut in 1955 until his death on 23 March 2015, after serving for 60 years. History This GRC came into formation in 1991, when it absorbed the Tiong Bahru GRC, Telok Blangah SMC and Tanjong Pagar SMC. Since the formation of the GRC, the ward was notable for its repeated walkovers until the ward faced its inaugural contest on the 2015 elections by Singaporeans First, whose candidates included former SDP members Tan Jee Say and Ang Yong Guan. In the most recent walkover in 2011, Tanjong Pagar GRC became the only constituency to be uncontested following the disqualification of a team of independent candidates (which led by Ng Teck Siong) as they submitted their nomination papers 35 seconds late. Several current ministers had cut their teeth in Tanjong Pagar before moving on to other constituencies. Among them, the following: *Lim Hng Kiang made his debut in the Telok Blangah ward in 1991, where his ward was absorbed into West Coast GRC in 1997. Prior to his retirement from the cabinet in 2018, he was the Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade). *Lim Swee Say made his debut in 1997 as MP for the Buona Vista ward. His ward was redrawn into Holland-Bukit Panjang GRC in 2001, and then to Holland-Bukit Timah GRC in 2006, before leaving the ward and contest East Coast GRC in 2011. Prior to his retirement from the cabinet in 2018, he was the Minister for Manpower. *Khaw Boon Wan served as MP for the Moulmein ward from 2001, when he made his debut, to 2006, when he moved to Sembawang GRC. He is currently the Chairman of PAP, the Co-ordinating Minister for Infrastructure, as well as the Minister for Transport. *Indranee Rajah also made her debut in 2001 as the MP for the Tanglin-Cairnhill ward (now Moulmein-Cairnhill and Henderson-Dawson). She is currently the MP for Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru ward (which previously led by the late Lee Kuan Yew), and was now the Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, and Second Minister for Education and Finance. *Lui Tuck Yew also made his debut in the Moulmein ward (in place of Khaw) during the 2006 general elections, after which he held the portfolio of Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts. His ward was redrawn into the Moulmein-Kallang GRC in the 2011 elections, after which he became the Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Defence. In 2015, following Lui's retirement, a majority of his ward was returned to Tanjong Pagar GRC, while the remaining were subsumed into Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and Jalan Besar GRC. *Chan Chun Sing made his debut in the Buona Vista ward (in place of Lim) in 2011; the ward had been returned to Tanjong Pagar GRC from the downsized Holland-Bukit Timah GRC. He is currently the Minister for Trade & Industry as of today. During the time Lee was then-Senior Minister, Koo Tsai Kee substituted Lee for his Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS). After the 2011 elections, Lee retired from the cabinet but remained as MP for Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru until his death on 2015; Indranee Rajah, who substituted Koo for the MPS at the time, became the ward's successor; her ward of Tanglin-Cairnhill was divided into Henderson-Dawson and Moulmein-Cairnhill wards and were helmed by Joan Pereira and Melvin Yong, respectively. Members of Parliament Lee passed away on 23 March 2015 due to Pneumonia. No by-elections were called as it was a GRC and Rajah served as a temporary MP for the ward until the general elections in September that year. Areas of Responsibility *Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru - Tanjong Pagar Road, Tanjong Pagar Plaza, The Pinnacle @ Duxton, Everton Park, Spottiswoode Park Estate, Cantonment Close, Former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, Silat Road, Singapore General Hospital, Jalan Bukit Merah (East of Henderson Road), Kim Tian Road/Place, Jalan Membina, Boon Tiong Road, Tiong Bahru Market, Tiong Bahru Pre-/Post- War Flats (Blks 17-82), Tiong Bahru MRT, Tiong Bahru Plaza, Bukit Pasoh Road, Craig Road *Henderson-Dawson - Skyville & Skyterrace @ Dawson, Strathmore Green, Margaret Drive, Dempsey Hill, Tanglin Road, South of Orchard Road, Somerset, River Valley, Henderson Crescent, City Vue @ Henderson, Bukit Merah View, Fort Canning, 38 Oxley Road, Prince Charles Crescent, Mohammed Sultan Road, Robertson Quay, Great World City *Moulmein-Cairnhill- Little India (East of Serangoon Road), Cambridge Road, East of Owen Road, Dorset Road, Farrer Park Field, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Newton, Newton Food Centre, Balmoral Road, Barker Road, Cairnhill Road/Circle, Mount Sophia, Dhoby Ghaut, North of Orchard Road, Stevens Road, East of Farrer Road, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Anthony Road, Goldhill Plaza, United Square, Istana, Keng Lee Road, Malcolm Road, Novena Lodge *Buona Vista - Holland Drive/Close/Ave, Holland Village/MRT, Jelita Estate, Portions of Sixth Avenue and Jalan Haji Alias, Victoria Park Road, D'Leedon, Leedon Road, Chip Bee Gardens, Commonwealth Crescent/Close/Lane, Blks 50-54 Commonwealth Drive, Blks 88-92 Tanglin Halt Road, Jalan Lim Tai See, Commonwealth MRT *Queenstown - Commonwealth Drive, Mei Ling Street, Stirling Road/View, Mei Chin Road, Queenstown MRT, Margaret Drive, Dundee Road, Forfar Heights, Queens Close, Alexandra Village, Jalan Bukit Merah (ABC Market), Brickworks Estate, Queens Condo, Jalan Rumah Tinggi, Lengkok Bahru, Jalan Tiong/Hoy Fatt Road, Queenstown Stadium/Swimming Complex, Leng Kee Road Candidates and results Elections in 2010s Elections in 2000s Elections in 1990s See also *Lee Kuan Yew *Tanjong Pagar SMC References Category:General articles